MAN OF THE YEAR, 1980: AYATOLLA RUHOLLA KHOMEINI

One of the most significant phenomena in world history was the reign of the Ayatolla Ruholla Khomeini of Iran. The Ayatollah was so driven by his religious dogma that he banned television in Iran for a period of 10 years.

It was this same Ayatollah that unseated President Jimmy Carter with the raucous hostage crisis. At the end of that crisis, Time Magazine crowned the Ayatollah Man of the Year in the December 31, 1980 edition.

Today, I bring you my review of the man in the April 8, 1981 edition of the Daily Times.

For today’s cartoon, let us make do with that which accompanied the article.

CHARLES ANYASI ...VINTAGE ARCHIVES: RONALD REAGAN AND THE BEIRUT HOSTAGE CRISIS

CHARLES ANYASI ...VINTAGE ARCHIVES: RONALD REAGAN AND THE BEIRUT HOSTAGE CRISIS: "About five years after Ronald Reagan got Americans to disgrace Jimmy Carter out of the white House on account of his perceived poor handli..."

RONALD REAGAN AND THE BEIRUT HOSTAGE CRISIS

About five years after Ronald Reagan got Americans to disgrace Jimmy Carter out of the White House on account of his perceived poor handling of the Iran hostage scandal, a similar nasty incident began to play up in Beirut, Lebanon as 40 Americans were kidnapped. As at the time I got today’s article published in my Concord Laff column on July 7, 1985, the hostages had spent over two weeks in Lebanese custody with Reagan scarcely broker any meaningful initiative towards their release. History sure has an uncanny way of repeating itself.

As various candidates speak to us now from both ends of their mouths, it is needful for us to be guided by history.

In today’s cartoon, I present to you another mockery of Senator Edward Kennedy, especially aginst the backdrop of the breaking news over the past 24 hours. The FBI just uncovered another scandal involving Senator Kennedy.

Please click on this link for the news on Newsmax.com

http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/KennedyBrothel/2011/02/28/id/387765?s=al&promo_code=BC50-1

CHARLES ANYASI ...VINTAGE ARCHIVES: US 1980 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

CHARLES ANYASI ...VINTAGE ARCHIVES: US 1980 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: "Last Thursday, I uploaded my predictions on the 1980 Presidential Elections which ushered in President Ronald Reagan. Today, please take a ..."

CHARLES ANYASI ...VINTAGE ARCHIVES: US 1980 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

CHARLES ANYASI ...VINTAGE ARCHIVES: US 1980 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: "Last Thursday, I uploaded my predictions on the 1980 Presidential Elections which ushered in President Ronald Reagan. Today, please take a ..."

THE PLACE OF EDWARD KENNEDY IN US POLITICS

In the 1980 US Presidential Election exercise, the hottest rival to President Jimmy Carter in the Democratic Party was Senator Edward Kennedy. But one reason why Kennedy failed to beat Carter in the pre-election Convention was the ever-burning issue of Chappaquiddick. It could be recalled that, under the influence of alcohol, Kennedy drove his automobile into a little river on Chappaquidick Island. The gory incident in which Kennedy’s female partner, Mary Jo Kopechne died, took place on July 19, 1969, soon after Kennedy’s election to the Senate.

As you can see from today’s cartoon published in the Daily Times during Kennedy’s campaign, Americans refused to ignore that incident. Although Kennedy remained a vital force in the US Congress until his death on August 25, 2009, his moral standing remained his Achilles heel.

The question we should ask ourselves is whether the moral standing of those wooing us for their votes matter to us.

US 1980 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Last Thursday, I uploaded my predictions on the 1980 Presidential Elections which ushered in President Ronald Reagan. Today, please take a look at my lamentation after Ronald Reagan’s victory. As preparations for Nigeria’s General Elections gather momentum, I urge every politically-conscious citizen to take a cue from the gross miscalculations of the United States in that election.

In the coming days, I will upload subsequent articles that examined the same election.